Double Mastectomy Care Instructions

If you had nipple/areola grafts, avoid scrubbing them, as you can scrub them off. Just gently soap up and let the water run over to rinse the soap off.
 
You may have gotten the first week of no showers (if you had grafts). This will go away over a few days when you shower daily. Do not try to scrub the smell away. You can cause abrasions to your skin which can be a portal for infection.

You’ve got another week to avoid baths or soaking as this will affect both your dressing and increase your chance of infection. After one week from now, you can soak as long as you have no open areas on your chest.

Shower with the paper tape on. It will stay on in the shower. You can pat it dry or blow-dry it dry (in a cool setting) afterward.

After their surgery, most people find it most comfortable to sleep on their back at a slight incline. Any position (except on your front) is allowed as long as it is not painful.

It is normal to have some drainage from the incisions after your surgery, as long as the it is mostly clear (it can be yellow or pinkish).
 
After your second session of lymphatic drainage therapy, you should keep the thick large gauze pad over your chest under the binder. You may experience a few days of increased drainage. You can change the pad if it is overly soiled.
 
If you had nipple/areola grafts, the very top layer of the grafts will slough off. This is expected and normal. It will leave your areolas/nipples shiny.
 
DO NOT LET THEM DRY OUT.
 
After your shower put a thin layer of Vaseline or Polysporin ointment on the shiny grafts. Be careful not to leave any clumps of ointment on them. Keep them covered with gauze or bandaids. You’ll change this dressing daily until the skin becomes matte (not shiny) again.

You should always wear the binder for support including during sleep for the first 4 weeks after surgery. Take it off to shower once you’re allowed to shower.

Avoid sliding the binder up and down to adjust it. Take it off completely and reposition it if you need to adjust it.

After you have no more drainage, you can wear a t-shirt under your binder for comfort.

Your binder should feel tight enough that you feel like you have some compression but loose enough for breathing. Make sure that you’re able to take a deep breath without feeling like it is restricting your rib cage expansion too much.

It’s okay to take breaks from the binder for comfort.

Accordion ContentSometimes, your body will eject or “spit” your sutures from your skin. This usually looks like a pimple over your incision line that eventually bursts and leaves a small hole behind.

You may see some thread or fishing line sticking out. If you do, trim the part with a clean pair of scissors like you would trim hair at the level of your skin.

While this area is open, keep it covered with a bit of vaseline or polysporin and a bandaid. Let us know if the hole gets bigger.

Signs of infection include increased redness, increased pain, increased swelling despite not doing anything, fever, and sometimes, milky white fluid drainage.

Most of the time the pain is around your incision and is one-sided, but not always. Signs of a fluid collection include gradual swelling of one area of your chest for a day or two and the feeling that fluid is sloshing around under your skin. If you tap the fluid collection, you’ll notice a ripple effect.

This is not an emergency, but please let us know about it by email or phone as we might need to see you sooner to drain it.

If you have any problems after surgery, please call the office during the day. Contact information is included in your post-op instruction documents.